


Starman (Frerard)

by asotmGee



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Anxiety, Autism, Disability, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2020-09-26 01:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20381596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asotmGee/pseuds/asotmGee
Summary: Desperate and overwhelmed, Mikey Way hires Frank Iero to take care of his older brother Gerard, who has autism. He can't speak and is in need of round-the-clock care, but Frank soon sees that Gerard is a real sweetheart, despite his impediment. Being the kind person Frank is, he happily accepts the job, excited to work with Gerard. As Frank works with Gerard more, they grow a special bond with each other that Frank nor Gerard can ever forget.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just want to say that this fic is waaaaaayyyy different than what I usually write. Many of my other fics are very angsty and contain some things that are triggering for some readers, but not this one. This fic will be very wholesome, sweet, and fluffy. I decided to start writing this fic because I used to work with special needs children, and I was in many special ed classes when I was younger, and I was also diagnosed with Asperger's. So I pretty much decided to write this fic because I sorta know what it's like to be autistic, even though I'm on the high functioning spectrum. This fic is also basically a much cleaner version of Cry Baby, and Frank is not a perverted douche canoe in it. So, without further ado...enjoy! :)

Mikey sleepily opened up his eyes, looking at the time on the alarm clock on the nightstand; it was 1:45 in the morning, which meant that Mikey could easily go back to sleep, but he quickly realized he couldn't do that just yet. His head snapped up when he heard screaming and a loud beeping noise coming from the baby monitor on the nightstand. He immediately knew what the source of the screams were; they were coming from Gerard, Mikey's autistic older brother. Mikey knew right away that Gerard was trying to get out of bed, since the bed alarm was going off, being heard on the baby monitor. Mikey had to run as fast as he could to Gerard's room to prevent him from falling and getting hurt. Mikey rushed out of bed and ran out of his room, running down the hall to Gerard's room, opening the door. What saw him made him gasp; Gerard was sitting on the floor, banging his head against the wall, his forehead dripping with blood as he continued to scream.  


"Gee, no!" Mikey yelled, running over to Gerard and pulling him away from the wall and walking him back to his bed. As Mikey sat Gerard down on his bed, Gerard still hollered and cried, shaking uncontrollably. He then started to hit his head repeatedly with his hand, which Mikey grabbed and forced down, holding it tightly and hugging his distressed brother. "It's okay, Gee. I'm here,"  


Mikey knew he had to take his brother to the hospital soon. He was afraid that Gerard might have gotten a concussion. But first he had to calm him down. Thankfully, Gerard wasn't combative like he usually gets around Mikey, so calming him down should be almost no problem for him. Mikey looked down on Gerard's bed and noticed his favorite stuffed animal he always sleeps with at night, and has been since he was a baby; a stuffed black cat that has been sewn up by Mikey several times over the years. It was very old and ragged, but he knew it held a special place in Gerard's heart. Holding his cat almost always calmed him down, and Mikey knew immediately to give Gerard his special toy. Mikey grabbed the cat and held it in front of Gerard.  


"Look, Gee. Here's Mr. Cat. He wants you to hug him," Mikey said softly to his brother. Gerard's cries reduced to soft sniffles, and he immediately grabbed his stuffed cat and held it tight in his arms as he continued to shake. Even though he was still shaking and clearly upset, Mikey knew he was at least calm. He quickly had to take Gerard to the hospital. "Gee, I gotta take you to the hospital since you hurt yourself. Come on. Let's go,"  


Mikey helped Gerard up from his bed and carefully walked him out of his room, walking down the stairs to the living room, where Mikey grabbed his keys. He walked Gerard out the front door before locking it, then guided Gerard to Mikey's car and helped him inside once Mikey unlocked it. He buckled Gerard into his seat, then got into the driver's seat and started up the engine. He backed out of the driveway and onto the road, speeding his way to the hospital.  


Mikey knew he had to find a new caregiver for his brother, since he has a full-time job and can't be there for Gerard all the time. He was tired of hiring caregivers that quit two days later due to the complexity of Gerard's mental handicap. He had to find one that was willing to work with Gerard, and not quit without giving at least a few days notice. When Mikey couldn't find an at-home caregiver for Gerard, he would send him to a day care center for adults with developmental disabilities, while Mikey would work to support himself and his brother. However, the place was expensive, and Mikey could only afford to take Gerard there so many times. Mikey also recently began to suspect that the people that worked at this center were mistreating Gerard, as he would always come running to Mikey when he came to pick him up, crying in his arms. Mikey wanted what's best for his brother, and sending Gerard to live in an institution was not an option for him, fearing that Gerard would be put in similar danger if he were to be sent to such a place. Since Mikey has the day off, he decided to start making fliers and putting them up around town when he takes Gerard back from the hospital later, advertising a caregiver position. He just hoped he could find someone fast. He really needed it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: So for those of you that have read the Prologue of this fic and are interested in reading more...awesome! For those of you that read Cry Baby, a VERY fucked up frerard fic I wrote a couple years ago, you'll quickly pick up the fact that Starman will be kinda like Cry Baby, but very wholesome and clean. Frank is NOT a horny nutjob in this fic. I am telling you this now so you're all aware. Anyway, on with the chapter...

Frank drank his cup of coffee as he started to exit the coffee shop. But before he did, something caught his attention on the bulletin board near the front door. It was a piece of paper advertising a caregiver position, with the starting pay being twelve dollars an hour, which sparked Frank's interest, since he's been looking for a job for a while, and had experience from babysitting the neighbor's kids. Frank took the flier off the board and read further. It said that the person that wrote this flier is looking for someone to care for his mentally challenged brother, and that experience is preferred, but is willing to train. The flier also had the number to call on the bottom. Frank knew this would be a decent job, considering the pay. Even though he doesn't have much experience with people with special needs, he was willing to learn new skills. Holding the flier, Frank walked out of the coffee shop as he smiled. He really hoped he could get this job, knowing he's desperate for work since he lost his last job at a local grocery store due to one too many panic attacks. Now that his panic disorder has gotten a lot better though, Frank knew he was capable of getting and holding down a job.  
Frank walked to his car and got inside and turned it on. After that, he dialed the number on the paper, which went to his car so he didn't have to hold his phone while driving. He heard a few rings before someone picked up.  
"Hello?" a voice said.  
"Hey, this is Frank Iero. I saw your ad in a coffee shop for a caregiver job, and I'm interested," Frank replied as he drove.  
"Oh, good. I could really use some help. You're the first person that's called about this. How about if I give you my address, and you can come over, and we'll talk more about the job? I'm Mikey, by the way," Mikey said.  
"Sure, that will work. What's your address?"  
"It' 1217 Monroeville Drive, right here in Newark. It's not far from the local tobacco and liquor shop. You know where that is?" Mikey asked.  
"Yeah, I do. I pass by that store all the time. Finding your place shouldn't be hard," Frank replied. "What time do you want me to come over?"  
"Anytime is fine,"  
"I'll head over there now. Should take me about ten or fifteen minutes to get there,"  
"Great. See you soon,"  
"You too. Bye,"  
Frank hung up, knowing where to go. He could feel himself getting giddy just thinking about getting this job. He just hoped he can get it.

_ _ _  
Frank pulled up to the driveway of the house that belongs to the correct address. It was easy for Frank to find it since he passed by the local tobacco and liquor store near it all the time. Frank was surprised by how nice the house looked, despite being in the middle of a rough part of Jersey. It was a blue frame house with a small garden in the front that looked well taken care of. Frank got out of his car, walking up to the front door after walking up the small set of steps leading up to it. He stopped at the door and rang the doorbell, which he could hear go off from beyond the house, followed by a pair of footsteps coming to the door. The door opened, revealing Mikey at the other side, who smiled.  
"Hey, come inside," he said as he shook Frank's hand. Frank smiled, doing just that. The interior of the house looked really nice and clean. He was surprised that Mikey had time to tidy up the house, despite having to take care of his brother, who Frank assumed he was soon to meet.  
Frank followed Mikey down the hall to the living room, where Frank turned and looked into, finding a grown man somewhere in his early thirties with creamy pale skin, bright blonde hair, and glasses, wearing a Batman t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms, as well as a black helmet on his head. He sat on the floor, playing with wooden building blocks. He sat there with two blocks in his hand, banging then up against each other repeatedly instead of using them for their intended purpose. Frank had to admit that he felt pretty nervous about meeting Mikey's older brother, knowing his condition, but when Frank saw him for the first time, all that anxiety of first seeing him went away. He looked so happy playing with his blocks, despite what's wrong with him. If anything, he looked fucking adorable like a little kid, Frank thought to himself.  
"Frank, this is Gerard," Mikey said as they walked up to his brother. Mikey bent down to face Gerard, smiling at him. "Gee, say hi to Frank!"  
Gerard didn't respond. He just stared down at the ground, playing with his blocks. Frank suddenly noticed the stitches on Gerard's forehead. He thought it wouldn't hurt to ask Mikey what happened to his brother.  
"What happened to his head?" Frank asked.  
"Oh, the stitches? Gerard hurt himself last night, and I had to take him to the emergency room. I found him banging his head against the wall, which is why the helmet is on him. He has a habit of hurting himself when he's distressed," Mikey sighed. Frank felt his heart sink for Gerard. He knew that if he were hired to take care of him that he had to prevent him from hurting himself in any way. Frank also wanted to make a good impression on Mikey. He really needed this job. He thought a good start would be to give a friendly introduction to Gerard. Maybe he didn't hear him when Mikey introduced Gerard to him. Frank bent down to face Gerard, smiling at him as he eyed him.  
"Hey, buddy. I'm Frank. Nice to meet you!" Frank said in a friendly tone. Gerard still didn't respond. He didn't even look at Frank. He just continued to play with his toys.  
"He can't speak," Mikey said. "He rarely makes eye contact too. It's not that he doesn't like you. That's just the way he is,"  
"It's alright, I understand. I know that's common for people that have the same issues as Gerard," Frank shrugged. Suddenly, Gerard turned his head over to Frank. He slowly handed him one of his blocks as he stared at him. Frank was a little surprised by what Gerard was just doing, knowing what Mikey just told him. Frank didn't know what to do, other than grab the block from Gerard. When he looked down at the pile of other blocks on the ground near Gerard, he suddenly got an idea.  
"Hey, Gerard. Watch this," he said, taking the block from Gerard and stacking it on top of another one, then repeating with more blocks until he made a small tower in front of Gerard. Gerard looked down at what Frank just built with his blocks, then smiled and looked up at Frank, laughing innocently as a string of drool ran down from his lips. Frank smiled back, feeling his heart warm. He wondered if Gerard did this often. By the surprised look on Mikey's face, the answer must be no.  
"Wow, I think he likes you, Frank!" Mikey said, smiling. "I think you'll fit for this job perfectly, to be honest. Gerard's never been like that around anyone else that took care of him,"  
"Are you serious? You think I'm good enough to take care of him?" Frank asked, eyes wide with surprise.  
"More than good enough. Since you clearly made a good impression on my brother, I think you're the right one for the job, just as long as I show you the ropes with taking care of him," Mikey responded. "He needs a bath today, as well as a new diaper probably. I'll show you how to do both those things for him,"  
"Alright, sounds good," Frank nodded. Mikey turned to face his brother.  
"Gee, we gotta give you a bath and get you changed and dressed. Frank's gonna help me," he said calmly. He took Gerard's hand and brought him up to his feet with him. Frank stood up as well, and altogether him, Mikey, and Gerard walked out of the living room and to the bathroom upstairs. When they got to the bathroom, Mikey turned on the water in the bathtub, testing it to make sure it was at the right temperature for Gerard. When the water was to Mikey's satisfaction, he turned to Frank.  
"Frank, just so you can feel more confident taking care of Gerard in the future, I'm gonna have you strip him and bathe him. I'm also gonna have you put a new diaper on him, since he's incontinent. Is that okay?" Mikey asked Frank.  
"Sure, no problem. Shouldn't be too hard," Frank shrugged. "I used to do similar things for my neighbor's kids, so this should be easy,"  
"Great. You can get started now. I'll help you if you're ever having a hard time,"  
"Cool. Rock and roll, man. Rock and roll," Frank smiled, turning to Gerard. "Gerard, I'm gonna take your clothes off so you can get in the tub, okay?"  
Frank knew Gerard couldn't respond, but felt he should let him know what he's about to do anyway so he doesn't risk possibly spooking Gerard. Frank gently pulled up Gerard's shirt off him, then pulled down his pants, revealing his diaper that's on him. Frank had to admit that he felt strange having to take off and put on a diaper on a grown man, but that was a part of Frank's job, and he couldn't complain. Frank took off the diaper that was wet with urine and threw it in the trash bin next to the toilet. He then helped Gerard into the bathtub after taking off his glasses and helmet, staying close to his side. When Gerard sat down in the tub, Frank took a cup on the ledge of the tub and began to wet Gerard's blonde hair. After that, he took some shampoo and lathered it in Gerard's hair, all while Mikey watched. Frank began to hum as he worked, rinsing the shampoo out of Gerard's hair. After that, he put conditioner in his hair, leaving it in for a bit so Gerard's hair can be smoother. While Frank left the conditioner in Gerard's hair, he took a washcloth and put some body soap on it, and began to scrub Gerard's body, making sure to get every part of it, including his bottom and privates. After rinsing the soap off Gerard's body, he washed the conditioner out of Gerard's hair, then pulled the drain of the tub, the water gradually going down it. Frank grabbed a towel and turned back to Gerard.  
"Gerard, it's time to get out. I gotta dry you off and get you in some clothes," Frank said calmly to Gerard. He held out a hand to him and helped him up to his feet, helping Gerard step outta the tub. Once he was out, Frank began to dry him with the towel. Mikey stood up and began to leave the bathroom.  
"I'll be right back. I'm gonna get Gerard some clothes," he said as he left.  
"Okay," Frank responded. Once he was done drying Gerard, he looked around to see if he can find a diaper for Gerard. He instantly found a pack of them when he looked under the sink, pulling one out. "I gotta put this diaper on you now, okay?" he said, turning back to Gerard. He guided Gerard to turn the other way away from Frank so that he could help put his diaper on, which Frank started to do with him. Once he put it on, Frank smiled as Gerard turned back to face him. At that moment, Mikey returned with a pair of clothes for Gerard, which consisted of a black woven sweater with a white dress shirt and some blue jeans, as well as socks and underwear. Mikey handed the clothes to Frank and immediately got to work, starting with Gerard's underwear and socks, then his pants, then finally his shirt and undershirt. Frank then put Gerard's glasses and helmet back on and smiled at him.  
"You did so good, Gerard. You're so well-behaved," he said. Gerard suddenly looked up at Frank and smiled, laughing like a baby would. Frank smiled back, taking Gerard into a gentle hug, which Gerard accepted, holding him tight.  
"Great job, Frank. You didn't even need any of my help. I really do think Gerard has taken a liking to you," Mikey said. "I'll show you more of what you need to do, just so you're aware,"  
"Okay, gotcha," Frank said, letting go of Gerard, who walked out of the bathroom and downstairs, back to the living room.  
"Here's Gerard's medication. He takes them in the morning and at night, so you only have to worry about giving him his pills after breakfast," Mikey said, picking up and showing Frank a pill holder that had each day of the week in each box, all of them filled with various pills.  
"So do I just give them to him, and he takes them?" Frank asked.  
"No, you gotta crush them and mix them with applesauce or pudding. Gerard will spit out his pills if you don't do that. You give him the small pink one and the big white one. The rest you leave alone. Here's his pill crusher," Mikey said, picking up a small blue device that looks like a cylinder.  
"Okay, easy enough," Frank nodded. All this work he has to do for Gerard seemed too easy to him, but that's what made him like the job he now has.  
"I'll take you to his room now. I have something to show you there," Mikey said as he put down the pill box and crusher, walking out of the bathroom. Frank followed him down the hall until they came up to a door at the end of it. Mikey opened it up, and together they went inside. Frank could easily tell this room belonged to Gerard, seeing the many toys on the ground, as well as a toybox and posters of superheroes like Batman and Superman.  
"I usually lay Gerard down to take a nap at around two, so make sure you do that. He gets really cranky if he goes without a nap. Here is his bed alarm," Mikey said, walking up and pointing to a small white box on the side of Gerard's bed that's hooked up to a wire. "Make sure you turn this on when you lay him down. It'll go off if he ever tries to get out. When you hear it, run as fast as you can to his room and lay him back down. Gerard has fallen on occasions, so that's why he needs this,"  
"Okay, got it. What about feeding him? Can he feed himself?" Frank asked.  
"Good question. He can't. He needs help with that. He's also a very picky eater. Whatever he doesn't like, he'll spit out. The two best foods to give him are scrambled eggs for breakfast, and macaroni and cheese for lunch. Try to branch out on some days, too. He also really likes pancakes and macaroni salad, which we have plenty of,"  
"Alright. Easy enough," Frank replied. "Anything else I should know?"  
"He hates loud noises, so make sure you talk softly around him and keep the volume of the TV or radio at a reasonable level. Also, keep him occupied. Play with him, you know? He has a habit of walking up to the stove and playing with the knobs for some reason, so make sure you keep him away from there. Those are really the only two things I can think of," Mikey shrugged. "Any other questions?"  
"When can I start?" Frank asked.  
"How about tomorrow at six? I work Mondays through Fridays from seven to five. I'm usually home at around six, and I feed Gerard dinner at around that time. Is that okay?"  
"That's perfect. I should be able to make that work,"  
"Great. Well, I've pretty much showed you everything. You can head home now. But before you do, I have something for you. Just a way of saying thank you," Mikey said, pulling out his wallet and handing Frank a fifty dollar bill. "Take this. It's for bathing Gerard,"  
"Oh, thanks!" Frank said, taking the bill and putting it in his pocket. "I really appreciate that,"  
"I appreciate the fact that you're so good around my brother. Seriously, you're like a godsend for us!" Mikey laughed.  
"Don't mention it. I guess I'll get going then. I'll say bye to Gerard first," Frank said as he walked out of Gerard's room, along with Mikey. Together, they walked downstairs and back into the living room, where Gerard was watching an episode of LazyTown on the flatscreen TV, his legs sprawled out as he sat on the floor, staring at the screen.  
"Hey, Gerard. It was so nice to meet you. I'll be seeing you tomorrow, okay?" Frank said to Gerard as he walked up to him, bending down to face him. Gerard looked back at Frank, giggling as he wrapped his arms around him tightly. Frank laughed, patting Gerard on the back as he hugged him. When they separated, Frank stood up and began to walk out of the living room with Mikey to the front door.  
"Well, I'll see you here tomorrow at six then. It was so nice to meet you," Mikey said as he opened up the front door for Frank.  
"You too. I'm looking forward to taking care of Gerard. He seems really sweet," Frank replied.  
"He is. I love him to death. I don't know what I'd do without him. He may be older than me, but I often feel like I'm the bigger brother, you know?"  
"I understand. It seems like you really do love and take good care of him, which I greatly commend," Frank smiled.  
"Thank you, Frank. I really appreciate your kind words," Mikey said, smiling back at Frank. Frank knew he had to get going now so that he could start running errands. He just so badly wanted to get it all done and over with.  
"I'm gonna get going. I got things to do for today," Frank said as he walked out the door to his car. He turned around to face Mikey one last time. "See you and Gerard tomorrow,"  
"You too. Bye," Mikey said as he closed the front door. Frank got in his car and started up the engine, backing out of the driveway as The Smiths played on the radio. Frank really looked forward to working with Gerard. It seemed easy enough, despite Gerard's impediment. He knew he had to be up extra early in the morning to get to Mikey and Gerard's house to start his first day of work. He could not wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Frank woke up at around four the next morning. He took a shower, got dressed, and made himself some coffee. After having a few cups, as well as some toast, he put on his jacket and headed to his car. It was a pretty short drive to Mikey and Gerard's house; almost a ten minute drive, at most. He pulled up to the driveway next to Mikey's SUV. He shut off the engine and got out before locking the car, and walked right up to the front door, ringing the doorbell. But right before he did, he noticed something wasn't right. He could have sworn he heard someone yelling loudly. Upon closer inspection, Frank noticed that it was Gerard that was yelling, and he could also faintly hear Mikey's voice. He was telling Gerard to calm down over and over again, but he sounded clearly frustrated. Frank gulped, knowing that today could potentially be a little rough, clearly knowing that Gerard is distressed. Frank then noticed that the front door was cracked open. Frank felt it would be rude to just walk in unannounced, but he also wanted to help Mikey calm Gerard down. Frank decided to step inside and try to be of some assistance. He walked inside and went to the living room, where he saw Mikey crouching down, holding down Gerard's arms as he jerked violently, thrashing and yelling as he sat on the floor. Frank immediately walked up to Mikey and Gerard, his eyes laced with concern.

"What's going on?" Frank asked Mikey, who just sighed as he continued to hold down Gerard's arms, likely to prevent him from hurting himself.

"Gerard's just cranky, I think. I woke him up not that long ago. He won't stop trying to hit himself because he's clearly agitated. I don't know what to do to stop him," Mikey replied. Frank felt on edge a little. He didn't know what to do to help Gerard calm down either. The best he could do at this point is just wing it. He crouched down to face Gerard, smiling nervously.

"Hey, Gerard. It's me, Frank. Remember me?" he said, putting his hand on Gerard's shoulder. Gerard immediately stopped yelling and looked over at Frank, and when he did, a huge smile spread across his face as he mumbled. Frank smiled back, laughing lightheartedly.

"Oh, Frank. You really are a godsend, I swear," Mikey said, feeling relieved as he stood up. "I forgot to mention that he gets aggressive sometimes. On most occasions he'll try to hit me or himself, so be careful if that ever happens,"

"Alright. You can head out now. I got it from here. Should I make him breakfast now?" Frank asked.

"Now would actually be a good time to do that. He gets irritable if he goes long enough without food," Mikey replied, walking out of the living room. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay. Have a good day at work,"

"Thanks. See you later,"

Mikey walked out the front door, leaving Frank alone with Gerard. Frank could already feel himself panic a little. He was afraid that Gerard might become hostile again, and he really didn't know what to do if that were to ever happen, God forbid. He figured he should just roll with the punches and take it easy for now since it's only his first day of work. Frank turned back to Gerard and smiled again.

"I'm gonna start making breakfast for you, okay? Wanna watch some TV?" Frank asked, standing up and grabbing the remote, turning on the TV, which displayed an episode of Sesame Street. Gerard's attention diverted to the TV as Frank walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. He went to the fridge and pulled out a half full carton of brown eggs. He set them on the counter, then grabbed some butter and a frying pan. He put it on the stove and turned it on, then proceeded to put some butter in it for the eggs. He then grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and cracked two eggs, mixing them with a fork. After that, he poured the eggs into the pan, which immediately made a sizzling noise. Frank worked on stirring around the eggs until they were cooked, then put them on a plate. He then grabbed a sippy cup from the cupboard and poured some orange juice in it from the fridge. After grabbing a fork, he took the plate and sippy cup and set it down on the table. He then walked back to the living room to get Gerard.

"Hey, Gerard. Breakfast is ready," Frank said as he walked up to Gerard. He held out his hand to Gerard, who grabbed it before Frank helped him stand up. With Gerard's hand in Frank's, Frank walked Gerard out of the living room and into the kitchen. Frank sat Gerard down at the table, and Frank sat across from him as he picked up a forkful of the eggs, bringing it to Gerard's mouth.

"Open up," Frank said before Gerard did just that. Frank put the food in Gerard's mouth, and he chewed it. After he swallowed, Frank smiled at him. "Good job, Gerard. I'll give you more,"

Frank took another forkful of the eggs and put them in Gerard's mouth, and Gerard proceeded to eat the food. Frank kept doing this until the plate was all gone, then gave Gerard his sippy cup of juice. Once Gerard finished that, Frank smiled again and gave Gerard a pat on the shoulder.

"You did so good. A plus for you," he said as he put the dirty dishes in the sink. Before Frank could get started on cleaning them, Gerard immediately stood up and walked to the stove, where he began to play with the knobs on it, the flames igniting on the stove. Frank gasped and jumped into action, pulling Gerard away from it. Gerard immediately began to whine as he grew resistant, trying to free himself from Frank's hold.

"No no, Gerard. You're gonna burn yourself if you play with the stove," Frank said firmly, yet also in a calm manner. Gerard continued to resist, shoving Frank as he held him from behind. Frank felt himself panic again. He was afraid that Gerard might get violent again, this time towards him. That is just what started to happen, as Gerard released himself from Frank's arms, and began to try to hit Frank as he yelled. Frank backed away and tried separating himself from Gerard, but he kept following him. At this point, Frank was just winging it with where to hide, and began to run up the stairs. Behind him, Gerard followed him. Frank soon made it up the stairs, and heard a loud thud, followed by a loud cry. He turned behind him and saw that Gerard fell, holding his wounded knee as his sat on the floor. Frank sighed, immediately running to his aid. He bent down to face Gerard, stroking his hand on his shoulder.

"Did you hurt yourself, Gerard? Don't worry. It's probably just a bruise. It'll heal," Frank said softly as Gerard sobbed. Frank didn't know what to do to get Gerard to stop crying. He suddenly looked over at the living room only a couple feet away and noticed something on the floor. It was a cat plushie that looked very ragged. He figured that could help distract Gerard. Frank got up and walked over to the stuffed animal, picking it up and walking back to Gerard. He crouched down and held the stuffed toy up to Gerard.

"Look, Gerard. Someone wants you to hug him," Frank smiled. When Gerard looked at the stuffed cat, he immediately grabbed it and held it tight in his arms. Frank's smile grew wider, knowing that he was able to calm Gerard down, all thanks to a toy. At that moment, he heard a meow from behind him. He looked and saw an orange tabby cat with a pink collar. The feline walked up to Gerard and nuzzled her nose up against Gerard's leg. Gerard giggled as he pet the cat's head. Frank was always more of a dog person, as he owned a small dog named Sweet Pea, but he still appreciated cats. He looked at the cat's name tag on it's collar; it read Lola.

"Hey, Lola. You came at the right time," Frank laughed as he pet Lola. As he did, she meowed some more and nuzzled her face against Frank's hand. Lola was obviously a very friendly cat, Frank thought to himself. When she walked away, Frank focused back on Gerard. He had to think of some way to occupy him so he doesn't get hurt again, or play with the knobs on the stove. He figured that he can let Gerard play with the toys in his toybox in his room. He could have sworn that he saw a stereo in there. Maybe he can play some music for him. He knew that people like Gerard tend to love music.

"Hey, why don't we go upstairs? You can play with your toys there, and I'll play some music for you. How's that sound?" Frank asked. He knew Gerard couldn't respond, but figured that he would agree to Frank's suggestion. He helped Gerard up and held his hand as he walked him upstairs. They walked down the hall to Gerard's room, and Frank opened the door. Gerard immediately walked over to his toy box, opening it up and pulling out a toy dinosaur, with his stuffed cat tucked under his arm. Frank walked over to the stereo on the dresser and browsed through the cds near it. They varied from lullabies, to children's music, to something that really caught Frank's attention. He saw some cds of artists like David Bowie and Morrissey, amongst other similar artists. Frank decided to start with one of the David Bowie cds, taking out of it's jewel case and putting it in the stereo. He hit the play button, and "Starman" began to play, a song that Frank was familiar with. Frank sang along with the song as he watched Gerard play with his toys. This immediately got Gerard's attention. He stood up and started dancing with Frank, which made him smile and laugh in awe. Gerard really loved music, Frank said to himself.

"There's a starman waiting in the sky. He'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds," Frank sang to Gerard as they danced together. Frank suddenly realized that he had to give Gerard his morning meds. He cursed to himself for nearly forgetting to do something so important. He turned back to Gerard.

"Gerard, I gotta give you your meds. I'll be right back," Frank said. He walked out of Gerard's room and down the hall to the bathroom, where he found the pill case. He took out the correct pills and held them in his hand. Somehow he wanted to know what these medications exactly do for Gerard. Frank opened up the medicine cabinet and tried searching for the correct pill bottles. He first found the one that contained the small white pills and read the label. It read Haldol on it, which is a medication that Frank somewhat knew about. It was an antipsychotic that's normally used for people with really bad psychosis. Frank frowned a bit, feeling bad that Gerard must suffer from something so awful. He then read the label of the bottle for the large pink pills. It was Depakote, which Frank didn't know much about. He pulled out his phone and looked up the medication. The search results on Google said it's used to treat people that have bipolar and seizures. As far as Frank knew, Gerard didn't have bipolar, so that could sadly mean one thing, and that was that Gerard suffers from seizures. He felt his heart sink, somewhat knowing what having seizures can be like, because one of the neighbor kids he watched after suffered from seizures, and Frank was one time there when this poor boy was having one. He remembered that he had to call an ambulance to take the kid to the emergency room. He hoped that he would never be around Gerard if he were to ever have a seizure.

Frank walked out of the bathroom with the pills and the small pill crusher, then made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He pulled some applesauce out of the fridge and opened it, then began to crush the pills. Once they were nothing more than a powdery substance, he poured it into the applesauce and mixed it with a spoon. After the crushed pills were mixed in well enough, he headed back upstairs to Gerard's room, where Gerard was still dancing like no one was watching him. Frank loved how Gerard seemed to not care less how silly he looked dancing.

"Gerard, I have some applesauce for you," Frank said as he walked up to him. He scooped up some of the applesauce and held it up to Gerard's mouth. Gerard opened up his mouth and ate the spoonful, not seeming to grimace from the taste of the crushed pills in it. Frank kept feeding it to him until it was all gone. He smiled brightly.

"All done. Good job," Frank said. He realized that he needed to get Gerard dressed, probably in some warm clothes since it was a little chilly for a day in the spring. "I gotta get you dressed, alright? I should also probably see if you need to be changed,"

Frank went to Gerard's dresser and pulled out some socks, underwear, some blue jeans, and a thin army green sweatshirt. He turned back to Gerard with the clothes in his hand.

"Okay, Gerard. I gotta change you into these clothes. You must be cold. It's chilly out," Frank said as he set down the clean clothes. He took off Gerard's shirt and pants and checked his diaper, which was thankfully dry. Frank then put on Gerard's shirt, then his underwear, then the pants, and finally the socks. Gerard cooperated the whole time, which was obviously a good thing for Frank. He put Gerard's dirty clothes in the laundry basket nearby. He wondered what he and Gerard should do next. He figured that he should check in with his girlfriend Jamia, who he's been dating for about a year now. He met her at his old job at the grocery store. Frank worked as a shelf stocker there, while Jamia worked as a cashier, and she still works at that job to this day, but she told Frank that she's in the process of going back to school to get her CNA license since she wants to work in a nursing home, and then go back to school again to become a registered nurse. Frank figured that he would let Gerard continue to play with his toys while he talked to his girlfriend on the phone. As far as Frank knew, today was one of Jamia's days off work. He say down on a chair nearby and dialed Jamia's number. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, babycakes," she said cheerfully. Frank smiled and laughed a little. Jamia always called him that, and he liked it.

“Hey, baby. What’s up?” he asked.

“Not much, just enjoying the day off. What about you?”

“Did I tell you that I got a job?”

“Oh, that’s great!” Jamia said happily. “What kind of job?”

“I’m watching after this guy’s brother. He has autism,” Frank said. “He’s actually really sweet and adorable. Trust me, if you were to ever meet him, you’d believe me. His name’s Gerard,” Frank replied.

“Oh, that’s nice. I’m sure he is really sweet. People with autism usually tend to be. What’s he like exactly? Can he talk?”

“He can’t. He needs help with pretty much everything. He even needs to be diapered. But none of those things stop him from being such a sweetheart, though he can get aggressive when he’s agitated. I think it has to do with him getting frustrated. He had a couple episodes earlier,”

“Oh, that’s so sad,” Jamia said with genuine remorse in her voice.

“Yeah, but other than that, he’s really sweet, like I said,” Frank replied.

“Can I ask you something, Frank?”

“What’s that?”

“You wanna go out to dinner this weekend when you get off work? That is, if you’re working that day,” Jamia asked.

“Yeah, sure. I think I have that day off. Where should we go?”

“We can go to that one restaurant you really like that has a vegetarian-friendly menu. Isn’t it called Cole’s?”

“Yeah, that’s what it’s called. Going out there sounds great,” Frank said.

“Oh, good! It’s been a while since we’ve eaten out. It’ll be great!” Jamia said excitedly.

“It sure will,” Frank said. He saw Gerard stand up from where he was sitting, walking up to Frank, tugging at his arm as he mumbled. Frank laughed a little, and was sure that Jamia could hear Gerard over the phone. Clearly, Gerard wants attention, and Frank has to provide that to him. “I gotta go. Gerard wants me for something,”

“That’s alright. You go take care of him. I’ll see you later after you get off work?”

“Yeah, I get home at around six-thirty or sevenish. Talk to you later,”

“Bye, hun,” Jamia said as she hung up. Frank put his phone back in his pocket as he stood up, smiling at Gerard as he continued to tug at his arm.

“What’s up, buddy? What do you wanna do?” Frank asked. Gerard let go of Frank’s arm and ran downstairs. Frank made sure to stay right behind him so that he doesn’t fall again, especially down the stairs. Frank followed Gerard to the living room, who stopped by a rack of DVDs. Frank immediately picked up that Gerard wants to watch a movie. “You wanna watch a movie, Gerard?”

Gerard didn’t respond. He just pulled out a DVD case and handed it to Frank, who examined it. It was a copy of A Neverending Story, a movie that Frank is very familiar with, since he watched it a lot when he was little. The scene where Artax the horse sank in the Swamp of Sadness always got to him emotionally, and it still does to this day. Frank was willing to go through that all over again since Gerard wanted to watch this movie.

“You wanna watch this one? Good choice,” Frank said, taking the DVD out of the case and putting it in the DVD player after turning it on. Once he got the TV on the right input, both he and Gerard began to watch the movie on the couch. As the opening credits started, Frank suddenly felt Gerard lean his head on his shoulder, his body curled up against Frank’s. Frank smiled, patting Gerard’s head as they watched the movie together.

_ _ _  
After the movie was done, Frank made Gerard some lunch, which consisted of mac and cheese and a glass of water. After that, Frank let Gerard play with his toys while he watched TV. At around two, Frank laid Gerard down for a nap in his room so that Frank could have some free time to himself. He woke Gerard up at around four-thirty, and Frank decided to read a picture book to Gerard that had a bunch of zoo animals in it, such as elephants, giraffes, and tigers. He could hardly get Gerard to stay still the whole time, but he still managed to get through the book with him. After reading to him, he changed Gerard, then let him watch more TV as he colored in a coloring book.

As an episode of Bear In The Big Blue House played in the background, Frank heard the front door open. It was Mikey, with his business suitcase being carried in his hand. He looked clearly exhausted, walking right to the couch in the living room and sitting down, sighing deeply.

“Oh my god, what a day. The weekend needs to come sooner,” he said. Frank laughed as he sat down with him.

“It’ll come soon. Mondays suck,” Frank replied.

“Yeah, tell me about it. How’d it go?” Mikey asked.

“Great, for the most part. He did have a couple episodes this morning. He tried playing with the stove, and when I tried stopping him, he got combative with me,”

“Oh, Jesus. Not again. What about the rest of the day?”

“Really good. I gave Gerard his meds, we watched a movie together, played music for him, read to him, and laid him down for a nap. I also changed him not that long ago,” Frank said. “He had eggs for breakfast, and mac and cheese for lunch. He ate a hundred percent of both meals,”

“Good, good,” Mikey smiled. “Well, you can head home now. I’ve got it from here,”

“Alright. I’m gonna say bye to Gerard,” Frank said as he walked up to Gerard, who was laying on his stomach as he colored. Frank briefly looked at what Gerard was coloring on a blank page, and when he saw what Gerard was drawing, Frank felt his heart become warm. He saw a drawing of two people on the blank page, one with blonde hair, and the other with black hair. He knew it was a picture of him and Gerard, and seeing it made him smile.

“That’s a really good picture there, Gerard. You’re a good artist,” Frank said. “I gotta go now. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Gerard didn’t respond. He just kept drawing, with a black crayon held tightly in his hand. That was okay with Frank. He knew Gerard couldn’t respond the right way. Frank patted Gerard’s back, then stood up and walked out the front door, saying bye to Mikey. He walked out to his car and started it up, heading home. He couldn’t wait to return to the Way house tomorrow morning to see Gerard. He adored him, despite his impediment. Now was the time for Frank to relax for the night. He knew the first thing he was gonna do when he returns home, and that was having a couple drinks and watching It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia on Netflix.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just so all of you know, this chapter is very pivotal to the plot of this fic. Enjoy! Feel free to give kudos to this work, as well as leave a comment. I'd really appreciate it! Anyway, on with the chapter...

Frank woke up at around the same time he did yesterday, took a shower, got dressed, and ate breakfast, which consisted of a bagel with cream cheese, as well as a couple cups of coffee. He then headed out to Mikey and Gerard’s house, and made it shortly before his shift is supposed to start. He went up to the front door and rang the doorbell, waiting for Mikey to answer.

“Door’s open,” Mikey called out. Frank opened the door and stepped inside, where he could hear the TV coming from the living room. He quickly noticed that it was an episode of Clifford The Big Red Dog playing on it, with Gerard on the floor playing with his blocks, dressed in a pair of Iron Man pajamas. Frank also saw Lola near him, her body curled up on the couch as she purred loudly.

“Hey, what’s up, buddy?” Frank asked as he walked up to Gerard. Gerard immediately looked up, and when he did, he immediately jumped up and hugged Frank tightly. Frank smiled and laughed, patting Gerard’s back. “Good to see you,” he said happily. At that moment, Mikey walked in the room, dressed in a suit and tie for work.

“Aww, that’s so precious,” he said. “He really likes you, Frank. I wasn’t kidding when I said he’s really taken a liking to you,”

“Hey, what can I say? I try to be nice and chill as possible,” Frank replied. When Gerard let go of Frank, Frank noticed him looking down at his Gorillaz t-shirt. This made Gerard smile a little, which made Frank smile back at him. “You like my shirt, Gerard?”

“Oh, Gerard loves that band. When I bought their album Plastic Beach for him for Christmas, that’s all Gerard wanted to listen to. He has liked them since Demon Days came out when he was eighteen, all the way back in 2005. I’m pretty sure his favorite member is 2-D. I also am sure that his favorite song from them is ‘Sleeping Powder’,” Mikey said with a smile.

“That’s a good one, even though it’s very underrated. My favorite member is Murdoc,” Frank replied.

“Murdoc is one hell of a character. I like Noodle,”

“Sweet, Noodle is cool, and so is Rus. You gonna head out now?”

“Yeah, I gotta. Be sure to give Gerard a bath when you can. I’ll call you on my lunch break,” Mikey said as he headed out the front door.

“Okay, see you when you come back,” Frank said. When Mikey closed the door and headed to his car, Frank turned back to Gerard. He figured he’d give him his bath now, just to get it out of the way. He also had to get Gerard dressed and give him breakfast, as well as his morning meds. “Hey, I’m gonna give you a bath. How’s that sound?”

As usual, Gerard didn’t reply, but he followed Frank upstairs to the bathroom. Frank quickly went into Gerard’s bedroom and grabbed him a Star Wars t-shirt, as well as some jeans, socks, and underwear. He headed back to the bathroom and turned on the tub, making sure the water was at the right temperature for Gerard. Once the tub was filled up enough, Frank helped Gerard in after taking off his glasses and helmet, then undressing him and taking off his wet diaper, throwing it in the garbage. Frank then soaked Gerard’s hair with a cup nearby, then lathered some shampoo in his hair. After rinsing it out, he put some conditioner in it, leaving it in as he bathed his body with soap and a rag. After Frank rinsed the soap off Gerard’s body and the conditioner out of his hair, he helped Gerard out of the tub and began to dry him off with a towel. He then put a fresh diaper on him and got him dressed. Frank then drained the tub and lead Gerard out of the bathroom, taking him downstairs to the kitchen. He got Gerard to sit down as Frank decided what to make him for breakfast. He remembered that besides eggs, pancakes is Gerard’s favorite breakfast dish. He found some microwavable mini ones in a package in the freezer, which he took out, as well as a package of bacon, which he was sure Gerard would love. Frank got to work on cooking the bacon first, pulling out a pan and spraying it with cooking oil. He then put in a few strips of bacon, then started to heat up the pancakes in the microwave. When that and the bacon was done, Frank put the food on a plate, and filled a sippy cup up with some apple juice. He then set the food and drink down in front of Gerard and sat across from him. He grabbed some syrup and butter, spreading it on the pancakes, then cut the food up with a fork and knife. He then began to feed Gerard, who thankfully cooperated with him. Once he was all finished, Frank stood up and put the dishes in the sink. He figured he’d do them when he lays Gerard down for a nap. He wondered what him and Gerard should do. Maybe listen to some music, he said to himself.

“Hey, Gerard. Why don’t we listen to some music in your room?” Frank asked Gerard. Gerard stood up from his chair and followed Frank upstairs. When they got to his room, Frank browsed through the cds near the stereo. He quickly found a mix cd of some songs from Gorillaz. Knowing that Gerard seems to really like that band, he decided to play this cd. He put it in and pushed play, and “Sleeping Powder” began to play throughout the room. Frank turned to Gerard and began to dance with him like they did with each other yesterday with Bowie’s music.

Suddenly, Gerard did something Frank never thought he’d do. Gerard opened up his mouth and started singing along with the song, and when this happened, Frank’s jaw dropped to the ground.

“I was gone with the self of the day, gone. With the self of the day, gone. Self of the day, gone, gone, gone, gone…,” Gerard sang as he danced. Frank was left absolutely speechless. As far as he knew, Gerard hasn’t spoken a single word in over thirty years, not even when he was much younger than he is now. Frank couldn’t feel any emotion other than pure shock. He had to tell Mikey what Gerard just did. He just hoped he will believe him.

“Gerard, did you just...speak?” Frank asked Gerard shakily, who didn’t respond. He just kept dancing to the music while Frank stood frozen. He still couldn’t believe what just ensued right in front of him. He was so happy for Gerard. He was learning. He is no longer mute.

When the song ended, Gerard went to his toybox to play with his toys, pulling out two action figures as “Saturnz Barz” played. Frank realized that now was the time to give Gerard his meds with some applesauce or pudding. He walked to the bathroom, grabbed Gerard’s pills, and went downstairs to the kitchen. After crushing his meds and mixing the powder with some tapioca pudding, he went back upstairs to Gerard’s room to give him his meds and pudding.

“Hey, Gerard. I have some pudding for you,” Frank said. He held up a spoonful of the pudding to Gerard, who took a bite. He kept doing this until he all the pudding was gone. After Frank threw out the empty up and plastic spoon, Gerard went back to playing with his toys, with “Feel Good Inc.” playing in the background. Frank sat down on the panda bear chair near Gerard’s bed, his mind constantly playing over what Gerard did for probably the first time in over thirty years. Frank knew that telling Mikey about this is now a priority. He figured he’d tell him when he calls him on his lunch break.

_ _ _

Around noon, Frank felt his phone vibrate as he prepared Gerard some macaroni salad from the fridge. Frank picked up as soon as he felt his phone in his pocket. He picked up immediately.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Frank asked.

“Busy day. I’m already wiped out, but I still got a ways to go,” Mikey replied sighing. Now was a good time for Frank to tell Mikey what happened some time ago with Gerard. He couldn’t keep a secret from Gerard’s brother.

“Mikey, I have something to tell you. It’s really important,” Frank said.

“What is it? Does it have to do with Gerard?”

“Yes, it does. He...he spoke earlier while I played some music for him. He was singing,”

“Are you serious?” Mikey said, shock in his voice. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you? Gerard has never done that before!”

“I know, shocking, isn’t it? He just opened his mouth, and...yeah, he spoke for the first time in his life,” Frank replied.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re telling me this, Frank. I need to see him speak to me in person. I should hang up and eat before I gotta head back to work. I’ll talk to you when I get home,”

“Okay, talk to you later,” Frank said as he hung up, giving Gerard a bowl of his lunch, as well as a glass of milk. Frank fed Gerard until the food was all gone, then he put the dishes in the sink. Gerard stood up and walked to the living room, walking up to the dvd rack and pulling out a copy of The Wizard Of Oz.

“You wanna watch a movie?” Frank asked. He took the movie from Gerard’s hands and put it in the dvd player after turning on the tv. Once the movie started, Frank sat with Gerard on the couch. Gerard curled up in a ball as Lola jumped up on the sofa and cuddled up against him. Then, Gerard leaned his head on Frank’s shoulder, just like he did yesterday. Frank smiled as he and Gerard watched the movie.

_ _ _

After the movie ended, Frank put Gerard down for a nap in his room. After a little more than a couple of hours, Frank woke up Gerard and let him color. Soon enough, Frank heard Mikey walk through the front door, setting down his briefcase. He then walked into the living room, where he looked at Gerard as he colored. Gerard looked up and put down his crayon and coloring book and ran up to Mikey, giving him a hug. Mikey couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey, Gee. How are you? Did you have a good day with Frank?” Mikey asked, a part of him expecting Gerard to respond verbally.

“Yeah!” Gerard exclaimed, and at that moment, Mikey’s eyes widened. He actually heard his older brother speak for the first time. He turned to Frank, almost unable to believe what just happened.

“Well, Frank...I’ll be damned. You were right,” Mikey said.

“I told you, Mikey! Gerard can speak, even if it’s not that much. It’s a work in progress, I believe,” Frank replied as he put his jean jacket on, as well as his sunglasses.

“Clearly, it is. Well, you can head home now. What a day today was,” Mikey sighed as his body landed on the couch in exhaustion.

“You get some rest, Mikey. You deserve it,” Frank said as he turned to Gerard. “I gotta go, Gerard. See you tomorrow,”

“Bye bye,” Gerard replied, which made both Frank and Mikey smile in awe. Frank hugged Gerard, then headed out the front door. As Frank started up his car and backed out of the driveway, he could not stop thinking of all that’s happened with Gerard today. He was so proud of him.


	5. Chapter 4

Frank had gotten used to waking up so early to get ready for work. As the usual, he woke up at four and did his thing, showering and eating breakfast before leaving. He soon arrived at Mikey and Gerard’s house. As soon as he parked his car in the driveway and got out, he saw Mikey walk out the door, shutting the door behind him. He clearly didn’t look happy by the exhausted look on his face.

“What’s wrong, Mikey?” Frank asked as he got out of his car.

“Gerard’s in rare form today. He started acting up the minute I got him out of bed. He’s been trying to hit me the whole time. He would chase me throughout the house, swearing at me, which he’s never done before. I don’t know how he learned those words. If this persists, I’ll have no choice but to take him to the hospital,” Mikey sighed. “Maybe I should just take off work today. I don’t want you to get hurt,”

“No, don’t worry about it. You gotta go to work. I can handle it,” Frank replied, He felt bad that Gerard just wasn’t having a good day so far. He hoped he could help him calm down. Beyond the door, both Frank and Mikey could hear Gerard screaming at the top of his lungs. Frank knew that today wasn’t gonna be easy for him.

“You sure? I really don’t want anything bad to happen,” Mikey said worriedly.

“Nothing’s gonna happen. I’ve got this,” Frank said. Mikey sighed again.  
“Okay, if you insist. Just call me if anything does happen,” he said as he walked to his   
car.  
“Have a good day at work. I should be able to calm Gerard down. He loves me,” Frank   
replied.

“I hope so,” Mikey said as he got in his car and started it up, then backed out of the driveway. After Mikey left, Frank went inside the house. As soon as he did, a rancid smell filled his nose, making him gag. He started to look for Gerard as he held his shirt up to his nose, on the verge of retching.

“Gerard? Where are you?” Frank asked, not finding him in the living room, where he usually is. He decided to check his room. He went upstairs, where the stench became more intense. Frank continued to cough and gag until he found the source of the smell when he walked into Gerard’s room. Gerard sat on the floor with his pants and diaper off, his bare legs and buttocks covered in excrement, as well as on his shirt. The feces were also smeared on the walls, and was also all over his hands. Frank sighed deeply, knowing that he now has to clean Gerard up, as well as the mess he made in his room. Today was definitely off to a bad start for Frank.

“Gerard, what did you do? You made a mess,” Frank said. Gerard ignored him, trying to eat the feces off his hands, which Frank immediately tried preventing after he sprang into action. “Don’t eat it, Gee. You can get really sick,”

Gerard immediately became violent towards Frank, swinging his fists at his as he yelled, getting his bowel movement all over Frank’s shirt. Frank did his best to hold Gerard down to prevent him from getting hit. Gerard squirmed on the floor under Frank’s hold, his blood-curdling screams echoing throughout the whole house.

“Calm down, Gerard. You’re gonna hurt me,” Frank said firmly. “I gotta clean you up,”

“I’m gonna fuck you up!” Gerard yelled suddenly, which made Frank surprised, yet worried. Mikey did tell him that Gerard was swearing at him earlier, though.

“Gerard, don’t say that. That’s not nice,” Frank responded. Gerard ignored him though, kicking Frank right in the crotch. Frank yelped in pain, holding down where he was kicked as Gerard pushed him off himself, running out of his room. Frank held his wounded area as he began to run after Gerard.

“I’m gonna fuck you up! I’m gonna fuck you up!” Gerard continued to yell, running down the stairs. Frank followed him to the living room, where Gerard sat down on the couch, bouncing up and down where he sat as his hands shook. Frank caught up with Gerard, sitting down next to him as he sighed.

“Gerard, stop saying that. That’s rude,” Frank said. Gerard started to slap his own hands loudly, the sound of the impact echoing throughout the whole house.

“Fuck you!” Gerard yelled. Frank sighed again. He really didn’t know what to do to calm Gerard down. He also had to clean him up since he was getting fecal matter all over the place. If he could at least get his hands cleaned up, that would be a good start. He got up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a rag and wetting it with warm water and soap. He then walked back to Gerard, trying to approach him in the calmest way possible.

“Gerard, can you please let me clean your hands?” Frank asked. Gerard didn’t respond. He just kept bouncing in his seat. Frank took this as a yes, and stepped forward, He gently grabbed Gerard’s left hand, washing the excrement off of it. Gerard didn’t retaliate in any way, thankfully. This was a sign that Gerard was starting to mellow down, and that the worst was over. Frank then washed Gerard’s other hand, and once his hands were spotless, Frank walked away and put the rag in the dirty clothes hamper in the laundry room. He then walked back up to Gerard. He had to clean the rest of his body, and he hoped that Gerard wouldn’t be resistant again.

“Gee, I gotta get you cleaned up. It’ll be really quick, okay?” Frank asked nicely. Gerard looked up at Frank for a little while, then stood up. Frank smiled at him.

“Good, Gee. Come on, I’ll take you upstairs,” Frank said, grabbing Gerard’s hand and walking him to the bathroom. After Frank grabbed some clothes for Gerard that were well-suited for the chilly weather, they headed to the bathroom, and Frank did his thing, undressing Gerard and getting started on bathing him.

_ _ _  
After Frank bathed and dressed Gerard, he fed him breakfast, which consisted of eggs and bacon, as well as orange juice. He then gave Gerard his medication, mixing the crushed pills in applesauce and feeding it to him. Frank also took off his shirt since it had excrement all over it from earlier. Frank saw a dramatic change in Gerard’s behavior not long after giving him his medication; Frank put on some Morrissey for Gerard to listen to, and Gerard danced around happily, jumping all around the place as he waved his arms. When the album ended, Frank got an idea. He decided to read to Gerard, since he thought it would be good for him. Frank went to the bookshelf, browsing through the books. He saw that a good chunk of them were picture books for toddlers. He decided to go with a book that had pictures of zoo animals in it, and walked up to Gerard, who was sitting in his plush panda chair, waving his hands as he rocked back and forth.

“Hey, Gee. Want me to read to you?” Frank asked, crouching beside Gerard, who didn’t respond. Frank laughed and opened up the book anyway, thinking that Gerard would say yes. When he opened up the book, it displayed a picture of an elephant. He figured he’d ask Gerard what animal is on each page and teach him a little.

“What’s this?” Frank asked, pointing to the picture. Gerard stayed silent. “What animal is this, Gee?” Frank asked again.

“Giraffe,” Gerard replied. Frank couldn’t help but laugh lightheartedly.

“No, silly. That’s an elephant. Do you know what sound an elephant makes?” Frank asked. He then pretended to use his arm as a trunk, imitating an elephant as he made noises that one would, which made Gerard giggle as he bounced in his seat. Frank then turned the page, which displayed a picture of a tiger. “What animal is this, Gee?”

“Lion,” Gerard said.

“Close. It’s a tiger. You know what sound a tiger makes?” Frank asked.

“Roar!” Gerard exclaimed, which made Frank smiled.

“There you go, Gee! That’s exactly what sound a tiger makes,” he said, turning the page, which showed a picture of a monkey. “What’s this?”

“Monkey,” Gerard responded.

“Yeah, that’s right. That is a monkey. You know what sound a monkey makes?” Frank asked, happy that Gerard is learning, despite his impediment. Gerard imitated the sound of a monkey, bouncing in his seat again, playing around like no one was watching him. Frank laughed with him. He kept reading to Gerard until the book was finished, and Frank put the book back. He wondered what he and Gerard should do next. He looked at the time on his phone; it was quarter til ten. He suddenly found some containers of Legos on top of Gerard’s bookshelf. He figured that letting Gerard play with some would be a good idea, just as long as he didn’t put any in his mouth. “Hey, Gee. Wanna play with some Legos?” he asked as he grabbed a box of them. Gerard stood up and walked closer to Frank, indicating that he was interested in Frank’s suggestion. Frank smiled, sitting down with Gerard on the floor as he opened up the box, pouring out the plastic blocks. They were the bigger ones, so Frank didn’t really have to worry about Gerard possibly choking if he did end up putting the Legos in his mouth. Gerard grabbed a yellow rectangular one, connecting it with some square-shaped blue and green ones. He made a figure that looked like a giraffe.

“Is that a giraffe? It looks a lot like one,” Frank smiled. He then grabbed some Legos, making a figure at the shape of a building. Frank was happy that he was able to help Gerard through his episode earlier. He just hoped nothing else bad would happen.

_ _ _  
Frank and Gerard continued playing with Legos until Frank was sure Gerard got bored, and decided to let him watch his cartoons. He made Gerard some mac and cheese for lunch, and at around two, he laid Gerard down for a nap. While Gerard was sleeping, Frank cleaned up the excrement on the walls and furniture that Gerard left from his “episode”. When Gerard woke up a couple and a half hours later, Frank and Gerard watched The Rugrats Movie. By the time the movie was over, Mikey returned home, walking through the front door with his briefcase. Frank sure had a lot to tell Mikey about all that happened.

“How’d it go?” Mikey asked.

“It was rough at first. Gerard...uh, had an accident and smeared his shit all over the place, and he was very violent towards me,” Frank admitted.

“Oh, no. There have been times where that happened,” Mikey sighed.

“It was alright. I was soon able to get him to calm down. I got him cleaned up really good, and he was fine after that,” Frank replied.

“That’s good. I think it’s about time I set up an appointment with Gerard’s doctor and see about having his medication changed if this continues,”

“Yeah, for sure. Hopefully Gerard doesn’t react too bad if he does end up getting his meds changed, you know?”

“Yeah, I hope so too. Well, you can head home now,” Mikey said. “Get some rest. Today must have been rough,”

“Only at first it was. But you’re right, Mikes. I do need to relax after all that,” Frank laughed. “I’ll go say bye to Gerard,”

Frank walked up to Gerard, who sat on the couch as he watched an episode of Paw Patrol on the TV. He crouched down to face Gerard.

“I gotta go now, Gee. You be good for Mikey, okay?” he said. He gave Gerard a hug, which Gerard returned, wrapping his arms around him. When they separated, Frank walked out of the house after saying bye to Mikey, and headed to his car. Other than what happened when Frank arrived at the Way house earlier, today wasn’t really that bad. He just hoped that tomorrow will be better.


	6. Chapter 5

Frank pulled into the driveway of the Way’s house, got out, and locked his car. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Mikey answered it almost immediately, letting Frank inside. Today was another day where Frank watches after Gerard, and he hoped to God that today will be much better than yesterday.

“How’s Gerard doing?” Frank asked.

“Oh, he’s alright. He didn’t wanna get out of bed, so I figured I’d let him sleep in today. When the alarm on his bed goes off, get him up,” Mikey replied, finishing up a cup of coffee.

“Alright. I’ll keep a close eye on him. I should stay in his room so I can catch him in time when he wakes up,” Frank said.

“Cool, that’s a good idea. I have a favor to ask you,”

“What’s that?”

“I gotta go shopping for groceries when I get home, and of course, I can’t leave Gerard at home. Can you come with us to keep an eye on him? Gerard likes to run around the store every time we go, and it’s just hard for me to keep up. I’ll pay you up front. He also has a check up appointment tomorrow, and I’m gonna need help with that too since Gerard tends to be disruptive. I’ll pay you for that too. I have the day off tomorrow, so you won’t be alone with him,” Mikey asked. Frank knew right away that Mikey surely needed help keeping Gerard under control, knowing how he is. He was also being offered getting paid extra, which Frank couldn’t say no to.

“Yeah, I’ll do that. How could I say no?” Frank smiled, and Mikey smiled back at him, looking relieved.

“Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it. I’d hate to give you a heavy workload with taking care of Gerard, but...someone’s gotta do it,”

“That’s true, and don’t worry about it. I can handle it. Just think of how yesterday went,”

“Right, right. Well, I’m gonna get going. Call me if anything comes up,” Mikey said as he began to walk out the door.

“Will do. Have a good day at work,” Frank replied. Mikey shut the door behind him, and Frank went right up to Gerard’s room. When he got there, he saw Gerard snug under the covers of his bed, with lullaby music playing from his radio. The lights were dimmed, and a rotating nightlight with the shapes of stars all over the walls and ceiling was on. Frank smiled, quietly walking up to Gerard, bending down, and stroking his hair, then kissing his head. He then sat down in the panda chair nearby, and began to check his Facebook profile on his phone. He thought of calling Jamia, but quickly realized that it was too early since she’s usually asleep at this time of day and doesn’t have work til the afternoon today.

Suddenly, Frank saw Gerard shift in his bed, and then heard mumbling, indicating that Gerard was waking up. Frank immediately stood up and walked up to Gerard’s bedside, smiling.

“Hey, sleepyhead. You ready to get up?” he asked. Gerard didn’t respond; he just sat up in bed, bouncing up and down in his seat. Frank turned off the bed alarm that was going off, and helped Gerard up to his feet. Frank decided to get started on making Gerard breakfast. He took Gerard’s hand, leading him downstairs to the kitchen.

_ _ _  
The whole day went by smoothly for Frank. He did his usual routine with Gerard such as feeding and clothing him, as well as giving him his medication and spending time with him. When Gerard was almost done watching the movie Finding Nemo, Mikey came home from work, setting down his briefcase as soon as he walked inside.

“How was it?” Mikey asked Frank.

“Pretty good. No meltdowns today,” Frank replied.

“Oh, thank God. Hopefully none of that happens in the store,”

“Yeah, right? The way he was all day today is a good sign, though,”

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet, Frank. Gerard could literally snap at any given moment. He frequently has mood swings,” Mikey said.

“Gotcha. Well, one can only hope,” Frank shrugged. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I just gotta get Gerard his helmet and apparatus leash,” Mikey said, walking up to Gerard’s room. He soon came back out with a black helmet and a vest that’s connected to a leash-like rope. He walked up to Gerard, gently putting the helmet on his head, then wrapping Gerard’s torso around the vest.

“I’m assuming the vest is used to that Gerard can’t take off?” Frank asked.

“That’s right. He likes to take off and run around a lot, especially when he gets really excited. Ready to head out? We’ll take my SUV,” Mikey said.

“Yeah, ready when you are,”

“Alright, let’s head out,”

Mikey and Frank walked out the front door, with Mikey holding the leash connected to Gerard’s vest. He unlocked the car, helped Gerard in the seat in the back, then turned on a small tv connected to the back of the shotgun seat after buckling his seatbelt. After that, Frank and Mikey got in up front, with Mikey in the driver’s seat. He started up the car, then backed out of the driveway, then began to drive on the main road to the store.

_ _ _  
Mikey, Frank, and Gerard made it to Target in about fifteen minutes. Mikey parked the car in a handicap spot since he has a placard for it due to Gerard’s disability, then they all got out. Frank held the vest leash as he walked with Gerard, with Mikey by their side. Mikey grabbed a cart as soon as they all got inside, and walked through the entrance to the store. Mikey pulled out a list he wrote for groceries, examining it.

“Okay, so first we should get milk and eggs. The dairy section is nearby,” he said.

“Alright, lead the way,” Frank said. Beside him, Gerard scanned the surroundings as he mumbled, occasionally trying to get out of Frank’s hold on the leash. Immediately, heads nearby turned, knowing right off the bat that there’s something different about Gerard. Frank hoped that no one will have a problem with him if Gerard were to ever cause a scene, heaven forbid. He knew that Gerard should be treated like every other person, handicapped or not.

Mikey, Frank, and Gerard all stopped by the dairy section, where Mikey put some milk and eggs in the cart. As Mikey looked at the list again to see what to get next, a young kid that looked no older than six stood nearby, staring at Gerard. Frank found it kinda rude for him to do that, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt since he’s just a little kid that’s curious.

“Mommy, what’s wrong with that guy?” the kid asked, pointing at Gerard, who looked back at him, continuously trying to get out of Frank’s grip. The kid’s mother beside him shot Frank, Mikey, and Gerard an apologetic look.

“Ben, that’s rude. Don’t point and stare,” she said, taking her son by his hand and walking him away from Gerard. Frank looked over at Mikey, who just shrugged.

“It happens. Don’t worry about it. We’ve dealt with worse. While I was shopping one time with Gerard, he had a meltdown, and there were a few people nearby laughing at him. Let’s just say I chewed them the hell out,” he said.

“That’s just horrible. People that make fun of people like Gerard are all scum,” Frank said, appalled by what Mikey just told him.

“Yeah, you can say that again. We need shampoo and conditioner next,” Mikey said, pushing the cart to the hair care aisle. When they got there, Gerard’s eyes scanned the shelves. When Frank wasn’t looking, Gerard grabbed a box of black hair dye. Frank looked back, laughing.

“Put that back, Gee,” he said nicely. Gerard ignored him, putting the dye in the cart. Mikey looked down at it, and couldn’t help but laugh a little as he looked at Frank.

“Gerard’s trying to tell us that he wants his hair dyed again. I’ve done it for him a few times. I can do it for him again,” he said.

“Oh, really? I’m sure he looks good with black hair,” Frank replied.

“He does. There was a time when his hair was longer, and it was black. He looked really good. Not trying to say he doesn’t look good now,”

“Yeah, for sure,”

As Mikey grabbed some shampoo and conditioner, Gerard yanked himself in Frank’s grip so hard, that Frank accidentally let go, causing Gerard to immediately run off. Frank gasped, running right after him as Mikey began to panic. Frank ran for his life as he chased Gerard, who was shouting, causing even more people to stop and stare. Frank didn’t care though, and he was sure Gerard didn’t either. He cared more about catching up with Gerard and making sure he was out of harm’s way. He saw Gerard run to the toy aisle, and Frank followed him. Gerard stopped in front of one of the shelves, picking up a boxed toy cat that lights up in various colors and plays music when you press the button on it’s paw. Frank stopped next to Gerard, who sat down and watched the lights on the cat and listened to the music it made. Frank knew that Gerard was at least safe and not running anymore. He crouched down next to him, deciding to keep Gerard occupied while Mikey continues shopping. He sent him a text, saying that Gerard is in the toy aisle and is safe, and also that he’s gonna keep him busy. He soon got a text from him saying okay, and Frank diverted his attention back to Gerard.

“You really like that toy, don’t you?” Frank asked. Gerard looked up at him and nodded, then went right back to playing with the toy. After Frank spent about fifteen minutes playing with Gerard, Mikey walked up to them, the cart filled with groceries.

“Looks like he’s having fun,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, he sure is. He really likes cats, doesn’t he?” Frank asked.

“Oh, cats are like his favorite animal. He sees one, and he instantly gets excited,”

“I’m like that with dogs. I have one at home,”

“I like dogs too, but I’m a bit more of a cat person like Gerard is. You ready to go to checkout?” Mikey asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Frank said as he stood up. He then looked down at Gerard. “Gee, we gotta go. Put the kitty back,”

Gerard obeyed, putting the toy back, then following Frank and Mikey to the checkout. Aside from a small bump in the road, the trip to the store with Gerard was successful. He just hoped that the same would go for the doctor’s appointment tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, killjoys. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but now that things in my life are starting to calm down, I'm baaaaaaack :) Anyway, on with the chapter...

Mikey told Frank that he didn’t have to arrive at his and Gerard’s house until noon for Gerard’s appointment, since it was at one. Frank got there at around noon, walking inside after Mikey let him in. Frank could immediately tell that Mikey looked distressed, and could hear Gerard yelling in the living room. He could tell that today was gonna most likely be rough.

“Gerard’s having a bad day, huh?” Frank asked.

“Really bad day. He got combative with me when I woke him up. Then he fought with me while I was giving him a bath. After that, he wouldn’t get out of the tub, so I had to dry him off and dress him inside there. It took me like a half hour to get him out. After that, he started hitting himself, and I just can’t get him to stop, so that’s why I had to put his helmet on so he doesn’t end up hurting himself. Before that, he flipped the couch over. I’m not kidding,” Mikey sighed.

“Jesus,” Frank huffed, shaking his head. “Maybe I can get him to calm down,”

“I hope so. He was great last night. Now he’s like Jekyll and Hyde,” Mikey said. “I gotta get the dishes done. I’ve been putting it off for days. The worst part is that I can’t reschedule Gerard’s appointment. You gotta give them a twenty-four hour notice. We just gotta hope that Gerard mellows out,”

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes. I’m gonna try to get Gerard to calm down first. You go get the dishes done,”

Mikey nodded, walking to the kitchen as Frank walked up to Gerard in the living room. He immediately sprang into action, seeing Gerard hitting his head with his hands as he screamed. Frank tried grabbing Gerard’s arms to prevent him from hurting himself, but Gerard resisted, jerking his arms away from Frank’s grip. Frank began to panic. He briefly shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes back up.

“What’s the matter, Gerard?” he asked. He immediately noticed that something was physically different about Gerard. His hair was a jet black instead of blonde. He immediately knew that Mikey must’ve dyed Gerard’s hair last night using the box of dye Gerard put in the cart when they were all at the store yesterday. Frank thought that Gerard’s hair looked really good, but right now he had to get Gerard to stop hurting himself.

“What do you fucking want?” Gerard yelled, shoving Frank, who nearly fell over. Frank instantly regained himself, continuing to try to get Gerard to calm down.

“Come on, Gerard. That’s not nice. Don’t use bad words,” Frank said calmly. “You wanna listen to music?”

“What do you fucking want?” Gerard repeated, louder this time. Now Frank was really panicking. Distracting Gerard was clearly not working. He had to think of something quickly to get Gerard to stop being so violent.

“Relax, Gerard. It’s gonna be okay. There’s no reason to be upset,” he said. He opened up his arms to take Gerard, but Gerard resisted, pushing him back again, sending Frank to the floor. Gerard then took off, running up the stairs as he continued to scream. Frank hurt his can pretty bad when it hit the floor, but he didn’t care. The sound of the impact gained Mikey’s attention. He turned off the sink and ran up to him.

“Are you okay, Frank?” he asked.

“Yeah, that kinda hurt though. That’s the first time he’s done that to me, though definitely not the first time he’s tried hurting me,” Frank said, getting up.

“Alright, that’s it. Gerard’s grounded for today. He is not gonna be watching any TV all day. I’ve fucking had it with him,” Mikey said, frustration in his voice.

“He’s just really frustrated right now. That’s what happens when people have autism this bad. He just can’t tell us what’s wrong. You need to understand that,” Frank said defensively. “I get that you’re frustrated too. Anyone taking care of someone with autism can get that way. But try to put yourself in Gerard’s shoes. That’s the first step you need to make,” Frank explained.

“I get what you’re saying, Frank. I really do. But that doesn’t mean that Gerard can go on without learning what he can’t do. He needs to know that there are consequences for some of the choices he makes. What he just did to you in inexcusable. He needs to learn,” Mikey said, walking up the stairs. Frank followed him, and together they walked into Gerard’s room. When they walked in, they found Gerard throwing his toys from the toy box, and upon seeing this, Frank immediately stepped in and took the toy Gerard was holding in his hand, then tried holding down his arms. Gerard resisted, pushing and shoving Frank, who made a note to himself to stand firmly and make sure to not let Gerard push him to the ground again.

“Gerard, it’s okay. You gotta calm down. You have a doctor’s appointment,” Frank said.

“What the fuck do you want?” Gerard screamed yet again, continuing to resist. Frank managed to overpower Gerard, bringing him to the floor. Gerard screamed even louder, kicking his feet on the floor. That was when he began to cry, and it hurt Frank and Mikey seeing it. Frank stroked Gerard’s cheek, wiping his tears.

“Just calm down. Everything’s gonna be okay. Can you please behave for me and Mikey? We’ll put something on for you to watch in the car,” Frank said as he continued to comfort Gerard. He kept doing this until Gerard’s cries became subdued to sniffles. Frank then smiled, helping Gerard up to his feet. After he did, Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank tightly, his body shaking.

“I’m sorry,” Gerard whimpered. Upon hearing this, Frank couldn’t help but feel the sting of tears in his eyes.

“It’s okay, Gee. I understand that you get frustrated sometimes, and you can’t tell us what’s wrong. I accept your apology,”

“We gotta get going. Hopefully Gerard won’t act up again,” Mikey said. “I’ll get Gerard loaded in the car,”

“No, let me do it. You go get the car ready,” Frank replied. He walked with Gerard out of Gerard’s room, heading downstairs and walking outside together to the SUV. Frank helped Gerard in the car, putting on his seatbelt and turning on the mini TV behind the shotgun seat. Once Frank and Mikey got inside, they headed out. Frank had a feeling that it all wasn’t over just yet.

_ _ _  
Mikey pulled into the parking lot of the doctor’s office, turning off the engine. When they got out, Frank helped Gerard out of the car. They all walked inside, where Mikey checked Gerard in at the receptionist’s desk. Mikey then turned to Gerard.

“Gerard, why don’t you go play with the toy’s in the kid’s room while we wait, okay?” he asked his brother. Gerard immediately ran over to the kid’s room near the lobby, where a young boy no older than two was playing with a toy that looked familiar; it was the light-up toy cat that Gerard played with in the store yesterday. This immediately caught his attention, wanting to play with it again. As Mikey and Frank chatted while sitting down, Gerard walked up to the kid with the toy, sitting down in front of him. Gerard decided to be polite as Mikey taught him, holding out his hands, asking for the child to give him the toy. The kid ignored him, continuing to play with the cat. This upset Gerard, and after not getting what he wanted, he reached out and took the toy by force, snatching it out of the toddler’s hands. As Gerard started to play with the toy, the kid immediately started to cry loudly. This made Frank and Mikey’s heads shoot up, and they saw what was ensuing. Frank immediately stood up, walking right up to Gerard.

“Gerard, that is very rude. Give the toy back to him,” Frank said firmly. Gerard didn’t listen, though. Frank was already starting to lose his patience, feeling humiliated as other people in the waiting room stared at him and Gerard. Frank knew he had to take action to resolve the situation, even if it upsets Gerard. Frank took the toy out of Gerard’s hands, handing it back to the young child, who immediately stopped crying. When this happened, Gerard began to cry, with everyone within earshot. Frank bent down, looking at Gerard. “Gerard, you can’t just take things from others. That’s not nice,”

“He fucking wants it!” Gerard yelled loudly. Now Frank felt really embarrassed, and he was sure the same could be said for Mikey.

“Gerard, don’t cuss. We’re in public. You can just play with another toy,” Frank replied.

“He fucking wants it!” Gerard repeated, rocking back and forth where he sat as he continued to cry. At that moment, Mikey walked up to him and Frank.

“We gotta go in. Gerard’s name was called,” he said.

“I need to calm down Gerard first. He can’t go in like this,” Frank replied, frustration in his voice.

“He’s gonna have to. We can’t keep them waiting,” Mikey said before turning to Gerard. “Come on, Gerard. We gotta go,”

“He fucking wants it!” Gerard said yet again, but Mikey wasn’t having it. He grabbed Gerard’s hand, helping him up. Mikey held Gerard’s hand as they walked into the doctor’s office, with Frank following behind them. The medical assistant waiting at the door walked with them into one of the examination rooms, where she went to her computer to look up Gerard’s information. Thankfully, Gerard was no longer crying, which was definitely a good thing for both Frank and Mikey.

“Looks like your birthday is tomorrow, Gerard,” the medical assistant said. Frank didn’t know Gerard’s birthday was this close, though Mikey did mention that it was coming up.

“Yeah, he’s gonna be thirty-two,” Mikey said as the medical assistant as she got Gerard’s blood pressure. She then got his temperature, then his weight after helping him stand on the scale.

“The doctor will be with you guys shortly,” she said, walking out. Gerard sat down on the exam bed, rocking back and forth.

“So is this just a check up?” Frank asked Mikey.

“Yeah, it is. He has to get them from time to time due to his condition. This one is mainly for his incident he had when he hurt his head. They’re gonna take out his stitches,” Mikey replied.

“Oh, well hopefully Gerard won’t act up like he did earlier, you know?”

“Yeah, I feel you. He’s gotta get those stitches out, so it’s best to get it done and over with,”

As Mikey spoke, a middle-aged man with gray hair came in, wearing what a doctor would typically be dressed in. He smiled at Gerard, Mikey, and Frank as he opened up a drawer and pulled out a set of tweezers.

“Hello, Gerard. How are you?” he asked. Gerard didn’t respond; he just looked down at his lap as he kicked his feet as he sat on the examination bed.

“He hasn’t been having a good day, so don’t be shocked if he freaks out when you take out the stitches,” Mikey said.

“Thanks for reminding me. I’ll be sure to be quick as possible,” the doctor said, walking up to Gerard. “Gerard, I gotta take out your stitches, okay?” he told him, who still stayed silent. The doctor pushed away Gerard’s bangs, then brought up the tweezers, starting to work at Gerard’s stitches. They could all hear Gerard whimper, but thankfully, he wasn’t combative...yet.

“It’s okay, Gerard. You’re doing good,” Frank told Gerard, who sat still as the doctor continued with the stitches. Gerard continued to whine until the doctor finished, throwing out the thread.

“All done. You did good, Gerard,” the doctor smiled. He then turned to Frank and Mikey. “Well, I’m done here. You can all go now,”

“Thanks, Dr. Erwin. We appreciate it,” Mikey thanked.

“No problem. Have a good day, folks,” the doctor said, walking out. Frank stood up and helped Gerard off the examination bed, and together, they all walked out of the room and made their way out of the doctor’s office, walking back to Mikey’s SUV.

“Gerard, you were so good the whole time,” Frank said happily with a smile as he helped Gerard in the car, then put on his seatbelt and turned on the portable TV. Frank then got in the shotgun seat as Mikey started up the engine.

“When we get back to my house, I’ll give you the money. And you don’t have to worry about staying. I’ve got Gerard from here,” Mikey said. “Thanks again,”

“No problem,” Frank said. He suddenly remembered that Gerard’s gonna be thirty-two tomorrow. He wanted to get Gerard a gift, and he knew just what to give him, which was the light up cat toy from earlier. “Are you gonna do anything for Gerard’s birthday tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna throw a birthday party for him. I’m gonna have a couple of his friends from summer camp come over. You’re welcome to stop by,” Mikey replied.

“Sure, I will. I wanna get him something,” Frank said, making a note to himself to stop by the store to pick up the toy Gerard really likes.

“That’s really nice of you, Frank. Gerard would really appreciate that,” Mikey replied with a smile.

“I know he will,” Frank said. When he gets back to Mikey’s and gets his pay, he will make a stop at the store to get the gift. He knows Gerard will love it.


	8. Chapter 7

When Frank left Mikey’s house with his pay, he stopped at Target to get Gerard’s toy. After that, he got home and wrapped it. When Frank got done with that, he looked at the time on his phone; it was a quarter to four. Frank suddenly realized that he had the rest of the day to himself. He smiled, deciding practice guitar and work on the songs he’s been writing. It had been a while since he last did that since he’s been busy taking care of Gerard, but now, he had plenty of time for his hobby. He smiled, knowing that he finally has quite a lot of time to himself, especially since he doesn’t have work tomorrow, but he will still see Gerard tomorrow for his special day.

Frank walked to his studio room, where he keeps his guitars, amps, and LPs for his record player. He picked up his Fender guitar, thinking of what to practice. He quickly decided to play his cover of “You Are My Sunshine”. It made him think of someone special in his life, who just so happens to be the same person he’s taking care of for a living.

Frank suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He picked it up to see that Jamia was calling him. He smiled, answering the phone and bringing it up to his ear.

“Hey, babe,” he said.

“Hey, honey. Are we still up for dinner tomorrow?” Jamia asked.

“Of course,” Frank replied.

“Good, good. I just wanted to make sure. What are you up to?”

“I’m gonna start practicing on my guitar. Gerard’s birthday is tomorrow. That’s the guy I told you about that I’m taking care of,”

“Oh, nice! Are you gonna see him that day?” Jamia asked happily.

“I am. He’s gonna have a birthday party tomorrow. I got him this toy from the store he really liked when I went shopping with him and his brother,” Frank responded.

“Oh, that’s great! Well, I actually gotta get going now. My break is over,” Jamia said.

“Okay, hun. Talk to you later,”

“Bye,”

Frank hung up, smiling to himself. He was excited about seeing his girlfriend again and have a yummy dinner with her tomorrow, but he was especially excited to see Gerard on his birthday. He knew he would love the gift he’s gonna give him. Frank got himself set up with his guitar after plugging it up to his amp, strumming it. He couldn’t be in a happier mindset than he already was.

_ _ _  
Frank pulled into the parking lot of Gerard and Mikey’s house, shutting off the engine, then grabbing Gerard’s present. He walked up to the door, ringing the doorbell. Almost immediately, Mikey answered, a smile on his face.

“Oh wow, Frank. You actually came!” he said excitedly.

“No reason not to,” Frank laughed. Mikey looked down, eyeing the present in Frank’s hand.

“I see you got Gerard a gift. You can put it with the stack of other gifts. Some of Gerard’s friends came over,” Mikey said.

“Oh, alright. Where’s Gerard?” Frank asked as he walked inside the house, seeing a plethora of zoo animal themed decorations scattered all around the house. Frank quickly spotted a small stack of presents in the corner of the living room, and set his gift to Gerard down with them. When Frank looked over to his left, he found Gerard sitting with two other men on the couch, all of them watching The Avengers. Gerard sat in the middle, with a man with a mass of brown and curly hair sitting on Gerard’s left, and a blonde-haired man with some facial hair on his right. The two men sitting with Gerard both looked up, staring at Frank.

“Are you a friend of Gerard’s?” the curly-haired man asked.

“I am, technically. I watch after him while Mikey is at work,” Frank replied.

“Ah, okay. I’m Ray. I’m a friend of Gerard’s. We met at a summer camp for...you know, people like us,” Ray said.

“That’s also where I met Gerard. I’m Bob,’ the blonde-haired man said.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Frank said. Gerard turned his head to face Frank, and when he saw him, he leaped out of his seat, hugging Frank tightly, making him laugh. Frank patted Gerard on the back as he was squeezed so hard in his embrace.

“Hey, buddy. Happy birthday,” Frank said. Gerard let go of him, and that’s when Mikey walked into the living room where everyone else is.

“Well, I got lunch ready. I made hot dogs and macaroni salad. There’s also some chips and pretzels for you guys,” he said. At that moment, Ray and Bob stood up, making their ways to the kitchen. Gerard looked up at Frank, staring at him blankly.

“Let’s go eat, okay?” Frank said, helping Gerard up to his feet. Frank began to walk to the kitchen, with Gerard following behind him. Mikey, Ray, and Bob helped themselves to some food, while Frank helped Gerard make his. Frank decided to not eat anything since he doesn’t eat meat, and since Frank is vegan, he was unsure if whether or not the macaroni salad had any animal products in it. Frank walked with Gerard into the dining room, where he cut up the hot dog on Gerard’s plate, helping him eat as everyone else dug in. Soon enough, everyone was finished, and Mikey washed up all the dishes. He then walked up to Frank, tapping his shoulder when Gerard, Ray, and Bob weren’t looking.

“What’s up?” Frank asked.

“I’m gonna bring out the cake. Can you help me with the candles?” Mikey asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Frank replied. They together walked into the kitchen, putting ten candles on the cake together. Frank was kinda curious about Gerard’s two friends. It wouldn’t help to ask. “So, Mikey, ah...Gerard’s got a couple friends, huh? No mean to be an asshole, but after talking to them, they seem like they’re...you know, not like Gerard. I mean, Ray did say he and Bob met Gerard at a summer camp, but...they don’t really seem to be like Gerard, you know?”

“Yeah, they may not seem like that at first, but they’ve got some obstacles, though not as bad as Gerard. They both got high-functioning autism. They’re both really smart, but they’ve got issues too, if you know what I’m saying,” Mikey explained.

“Yeah, I know. To be honest, they seemed normal to me, but mentally challenged or not, it’s good that Gerard at least has friends, especially knowing that they’re like him,” Frank said as he put the last of the candles on the cake. “Well, you ready to have Gerard blow the candles out? What kind of cake is this anyway?”

“Strawberry, Gerard’s favorite. He likes it more than chocolate and vanilla,” Mikey said.

“Oh, cool. I can’t eat this, though. I’m vegan,” Frank replied.

“That’s okay. You ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go,”

Mikey lit the candles on the cake, then picked it up, bringing it to the dining room, where Gerard, Ray, and Bob all sat. Mikey then set the cake down, then took out his phone to record Gerard blowing out the candles after he and his friends sang happy birthday to him. Gerard, who clearly looked happy, bounced in his seat as he laughed.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Gerard. Happy birthday to you!” everyone around Gerard. When they finished, Gerard looked over at Frank, looking unsure of what to do.

“Blow out the candles, Gee. Make a wish,” Frank said. Gerard sat silent for a minute, then bent forward, blowing out all ten candles on the cake. Everyone around him cheered and applauded, and Mikey took out the cake slicer. After removing the candles, he handed slices of the cake to everyone except Frank, since he declined to have any due to him being vegan. Together, Gerard, Mikey, Ray, and Bob ate the cake, all of them making small talk until they finished eating. After that, Mikey took the empty plates and put them in the sink. After that, he picked up Gerard’s presents, putting them on the table in front of Gerard, which made him bounce in his seat again.

“Pick a present to open, Gee,” Mikey said to his brother. Gerard grabbed a box-shaped gift with Invader Zim gift wrap on it, with a small tag on it saying that it’s from Ray. Gerard tore at it, revealing a white box with a cover. He opened it up, then took out a shirt with the Batman logo on it, making Gerard smile.

“Cool, it’s Batman, your favorite! Thanks, Ray,” Mikey said. Gerard set the shirt down, then picked up a ball-shaped gift with party hat wrapping paper. He opened up the gift to find a blue rubber ball that squeaks when you squeeze it. Gerard squeezed it, making a high-pitched noise as he smiled. Mikey thanked Bob, then handed Gerard Frank’s gift. Gerard ripped at the wrapping paper, revealing the toy he liked from the store, which put a huge smile on his face. He pressed the button on the toy cat, and it lit up various colors. He turned to Frank, hugging him tightly.

“I’m glad you like it, Gee. I knew when you liked that toy that I should have bought it for you, and now you have it,” Frank said with a smile as he accepted Gerard’s hug. Gerard set the toy down, then looked around, hoping that he has more gifts to open. Mikey held up his hand, telling Gerard that he’ll be right back. He walked into the closet near the kitchen, pulling out a large gift. He set it down on the table in front of Gerard.

“I know you’ll like this one,” Mikey said. Gerard tore at the paper, revealing a small pet cage. Perplexed, Gerard looked inside of it, and when he did, he yelled joyously. Everyone looked inside the cage to find a small white kitten with black spots on it, meowing. Gerard, Frank, Ray, and Bob all smiled, eager to pet it. Mikey took the cat out of the cage, gently placing him in Gerard’s hands, with Gerard petting and cuddling up with it. He then stood up, giving Mikey a big hug.

“Would you look at that, Gee. You have a new friend,” Frank said to Gerard.

“What are you gonna name him, Gerard?” Mikey asked. Gerard looked down at the cat, deliberating on what he wanted to name his new pet. He then looked up at everyone.

“Loki!” Gerard exclaimed.

“That’s a good name, like Loki from The Avengers,” Mikey said. Frank looked at the time on his phone, seeing that it’s past five. He figured that he should get going so that he can call Jamia and ask what time they should meet up for dinner. He didn’t want to be late. He couldn’t wait to see the love of his life again.

“I should get going. Gotta meet up with my girl for dinner,” Frank said, standing up from his chair.

“Alright, that’s fine. I’ll see you on Monday,” Mikey said. Before Frank could head out the front door, Gerard walked up to him, giving him another big hug. Frank laughed, hugging Gerard back.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days, okay? You be good,” Frank said as he let go of Gerard. He ruffled his black hair, then walked out the front door. He headed to his car, then got inside, and after he started up the engine, he backed out of the driveway, heading home. Today was a good day for Frank so far. It was about to get even better, too.


End file.
